The Office of Alumni Affairs had a conversation with alumna Kat Olan regarding her newest book Tablay and her memories of UA&P.
Can you tell us about yourself?
Hi! I’m Katrina Olan, but you can call me Kat. I graduated in MA-IMC in 2018. Currently, I am a copywriter based in Manila, Philippines. Aside from work, I’m a D&D dungeon master, travel videographer, and creative entrepreneur that dapples around the local indie komiks scene. I’m also a self-published author of two novels: Tablay and Skies Above.
What did you do after graduation?
After graduating in 2018, I took my time off to travel, and I was chosen as a country representative for the Google Creative Campus in Silicon Valley. There I learned from marketing and engineering gurus about the future of technology and advertising. I think my time at the Googleplex inspired some parts of my Filipino sci-fi novel, Tablay. Currently, I work as a copywriter at Dentsu Jayme SyFu, an award-winning advertising agency. I develop creative campaigns for some of the most loved brands in the country.
What’s the most memorable part of your UA&P experience?
It’s the people. The classes were great and built me up to be resilient and hardworking. I learned so many technical skills that I apply in my current job. But what made UA&P really memorable were my blockmates, professors, the service personnel, the lunch ladies, and the chaplains. They were the beating heart of the University. Every time the entire UA&P came together for big events like Crossfire and Unitas Games, the energy was palpable. I’m an extrovert and am energized by such occasions. I loved documenting those events under the Media Management Committee. We made so many videos and same-day edits, and these skills in filmmaking I carried over to my work today.
Now, talking about your book, how did your UA&P education help in writing Tablay?
[Laughs] Wow, more than you think. Although Tablay is a novel set in cyberpunk Manila into the far future, a lot of the themes revolved around the lessons I learned from school, especially during my senior year and IMC Residency days. I’m not just talking about classes but the events I experienced as a person: the first time that I really experienced a broad spectrum of emotions—absolute joy, blinding anger, heart-wrenching sadness, and secret kilig. I have to admit – a lot of the characters are based on my close circle of friends and workmates. Tablay felt like a biopic that helped me explain the struggles I was going through during that time. It took me two years to write the book, constantly editing it to capture what I was feeling in specific moments in time. I believe the liberal arts curriculum also gave me a lot of perspective and grounded me in my values, which are reflected in the novel.
Can you tell us a bit more about Tablay?
Tablay is a Filipino sci-fi novel that brings together the edge of future fiction and the mysticism of Philippine mythology. Think of it like Pacific Rim meets Trese or a mythology class. It’s a story that revolves around the war between the Philippine Mech Force and the hostile beast machines called aswangs. For over a hundred years, the Mech Force has been defending the walls of New Intramuros, and one of the final measures against the enemy was called Operation Tablay, an all-out bombing mission. Sadly, it failed. Many years later, my main character, Anya Valerio, a Filipina mech pilot, discovers a dark secret about the aswangs. Now, she and her partner—the reserved but brilliant engineer Chino Jose—has to stop the fight before the consequences become irreversible. It may be fiction, but it contains a lot of social commentary about technology, ethics, and historical revisionism.
That sounds great! Where can we find Tablay?
Well, I sell them online through our Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/tablaynovel. I am also active in the local komiks community, so you can find me in events like Komiket and Komikon. Our next event is the Summer Komikon this April 18, 2020. We are also trying to expand to retail and e-commerce this 2020 so that we can go international. So far, our sole retail partner is Secret HQ, an independent bookstore located on Doña Carmen Street in Poblacion, Makati. Go visit them! Also, I have to give you a heads-up that we are now working on multiple media adaptations for the book. My biggest dream for it is to become a Hollywood-grade movie produced in the country by a full Filipino cast and crew. Hopefully, it will come into fruition this decade.
Finally, what advice can you give to the current Dragons?
Don’t be afraid to share your creative work. We’re very shy to talk about ourselves. One may be branded as mayabang, especially in our culture, if we talk too much about our work, but it’s not bragging if it’s true. We have “impostor syndrome”—we think that we are unworthy of praise or attention. I am a victim of that too. Confidence is every artist’s tool, as long as you don’t step on others. You must do things even if you are scared. Post your creative work. Engage with other people who share points of views different from yours. Travel the world. People admire you out loud (and in secret). The whole world is waiting for you, and your gifts! Get up and do it!#
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